Key cases



Jan. 17, 1961 D. B. coLLlNGs.

KEY CASES Filed DeG.

BY Wax/ I ATTORNEYJ United States Patent() he@ 2,968,176

KEY CASES Filed Dec. S, 1958, Ser. No. 778,465

1 Claim. (Cl. 70456) This invention relates to an improvement in keycases and the like, and more particularly to key cases of the type inwhich the keys are supported by loops, hooks or other types of hangerswhich are preferably removably connected to a support attached to andextending widthwise of the case.

f The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved casefor keys by which a better distribution of the bulk of a plurality ofkeys may be achieved and the selection and use of a particular keyfacilitated.

A further o-bject of this invention is`to obtain the above advantages ina manner which minimizes manufacturing costs and departure from existingmanufacturing procedures and which is adaptable for use with a widevariety of key loops and holders.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from thedisclosure of the accompanying drawings and in the following specicationand claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a key case embodying the present inventionwith the case in a closed condition;

Fig. 2 shows the case in an open condition;

Fig. 3 shows the case open and turned 90 from its Fig. 2 position;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing an alternative form of theinvention; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views indicating the nature of thebulk distribution of the keys.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, .a key case is shown embodyingthe present invention. The case comprises two opposed members indicatedgenerally at 6 and 8. The members 6 and 8 are of generally equaldimensions and hinged together along one side edge thereof, which isindicated generally at 10. The members may thus be swung yfrom andtoward each other for opening and closing the case. The members 6 and 8are preferably tray shaped and include opposing ange or rim portions 12which are adapted to be brought into edge-to-edge engagement when thecase is closed. While the members 6 and 8 may be fabricated from manytypes of materials they are preferably made of relatively stiff or rigidmaterial such as certain types of plastics or leather covered metal.When the tray members are swung to their closed position they form achamber for housing a plurality of keys, such as indicated at 9.

Means for supporting the keys within the case comprise at least one keyhanger or loop holder 14 secured to the inner surface of the tray member8 and at least one other key hanger or loop holder 16 secured to theinner surface of the other tray member 6. The holders 14 and 16 eachinclude a plate portion 15 by which the holders are attached to the traymembers, such as by rivets as indicated at 17. The holders or supports14 and 16 are of generally conventional construction and are adapted toremovably receive key hangers or loops such as indicated at 18. Theholders 14 and 16 are attached adjacent the upper edge portions of thetray memof a key usually represents its widest portion.

Patented Jan. 17, 1.9.61

bers, the holder 14 being positioned adjacent the inner or hinged sideedge of the tray member 8, and the holder 16 being positioned adjacentthe outer or free Vside edge of the tray member 6. The holder 14 is ofsuch a length, transversely of the case, that it extends only partiallyacross the width of the case, its outer end4 being spaced a givendistance d from the outer edge of the member 8. The holder 16 is of alength slightly less than the distance d. Thus, as the case is closed,as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the key loop holders 14 and 16 are broughtinto end-to-end relationship transversely of the case, as best seen inFig. 4. The key receiving loops 18 and the keys 9 extend downwardly fromthe holders 14 and 16 and are housed within the chamber formed by theclosed tray members 6 and 8. The holders 14 and 16 are positioned sothat when the case is closed they are brought generally into alignment,forming, in effect,v an elongated key loop support which extendssubstantially across the width of the case and comprises la plurality ofsegments, that is the holders 14 and 16. Each of the segmentsincludes atleast one slot 19 for receiving a key loop 18. Y

When the case is opened the keys 9 supported by the holders 14 and 16are carried by the tray members 6 and 8 and separated into two or morespaced groups. A key may be readily selected from eitherV group sincethe keys of cach group have space to fan out and any tendency of thekeys to become entangled with each other is minimized. Furthermore, thearrangement of .the invention permits a classied grouping of thekeyswhich facilitates quick and accurate selectie-n of a desired key.For example, house keys may be carried on one holder and ofhce keys onthe other, and since the number of `keys in the group is small, one keymay be readily selected from this group in the darkness and without thenecessity of fumbling through a large number of keys.

As is apparent in Figs. 2 and 3 the bow portion h Commonly and as shownthe spacing of the points of attachment of the key hangers to thesupport is much less than the bow widths so that the side portions ofthe bows of adjacent keys must overlap each other and those keys locatedadjacent the sides of the case are crowded toward the center of the caseby the engagement of their bows with the sides of the case.

In conventional key cases where the key hangers are carried by a singlesupport extending the full width of the case, the crowding of the keystoward the center from both sides cause the bows engaging at the centerto tend to twist or turn the keys into planes making substantially largeangles with the planes of the cover members. This not only causesentanglement of the keys, making selection of a key difficult, butplaces a distorting strain on the covers as well as on any catch orspring hinge employed to normally hold the case closed and frequentlymakes closure of the case diflicult when it is loaded to capacity.

The arrangement o-f the present invention provides space for the keygroups to fan freely over the surface of the cover member to which theyare attached. This, as previously pointed out facilitates selection of akey, It also makes for an orderly and better bulk distribution of thekeys in the case when closed. The keys lie closer to the case wall towhich they are attached than to the opposite wall. Thus the overlappingof the bows of the keys supported by holder 14 takes place when the caseis open in a plane close to cover 8 and without opposition to theirfanning naturally and freely toward the free space afforded at the innerend of the holder. Similarly, the overlapping of the keys supported byholder 16 can take place freely and without opposition over the freespace provided on cover 6. Whatever the relation 4of thekeys in`the-groupsA the` freedom of movement afforded the keys assures a flatoverlapping of the bows and without undue local bulking. This free andadvantageous bulk distribution of the keys of each group which can takeplacewhen the case is .open `is diagrammatically shown in'Fig. 6wherewthe .distribution of the keys attached to holder 14 is indicatedat 14 and .that of thekeysiattached to holder-16 is indicated at 16.This general distribution of the keys in the group is not materiallyaltered as the case is closed, such rearrangement as occurs taking placeby a at sliding movement of the keys in the overlapping portions :of thegroup without substantial edgewise engagement tending to twist the keysout of their planeof repose. The result is a generally uniform bulkdistribution in the closed case as indicated in Fig. 7.

It will beunderstood that the hanger supporting means may include morethan the two segments above described. For example,'and as shown in'Fig.5, `two holders 20 may be carried by one cover'member 22 in spacedendto-end relation and cover member 24 may carry a single holder 21positioned and dimensioned'to be received between holders 20 and insubstantially contiguous end-toend relation therewith. `When the keycase of Fig. 5 is open, as will be apparent, the keys of the groupscarried by the holders 20 and 21 respectively have adjacent free spaceon the covers to which they are attached cornmensurate with the fanningout needs of the number of keys in each group. The bulk distribution ofthe key bows in the closed case of Fig. 5 is diagrammatically shown inFig. 8, the distribution of the individual groups carried by holders 20and 21 being indicated at 20 and 21 respectively.

It will be understood that` if desired the two holders 20can be providedwith Yseparate-attaching plates such a common attaching plate.

Since most key case manufacturers make key cases having capacities oftwo, three, four, six or more keys, and stock holders of thesecapacities the advantages of the present invention can be secured byvarious combinations of presently stocked holders without the necessityof stocking specially constructed holders for the purpose. Having thusdescribed-my invention, what is claimed A key case comprising first andsecond substantially rigid tray members hinged together along one sideedge for swinging movement toward and away from each other toprovideakey confining chamber therebetween when in case closingrelation, elongated key hanger supports secured transversely of each ofsaid members perpendicular to the hinge of said case, said supportsextending co-linearly across the top of said case when said members aredisposed in case closing relation, each of said supports includingvmeans for removably receiving and supporting key hangers in downwardlydepending relation therefrom, fsaid supports being secured to therespective walls of said tray members so that when the case is closedthe supports are disposed in contiguous endto-end `relation providinghanger supporting means extending substantially the'full width of thecase.

References Cited in the'ile` of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,101,310 Mandelson et al. June 23, 1914 1,581,547 Rowe Apr. 20, 19262,228,726 Loesch Jan. 14, 1941 2,330,162 Trollen Sept. 21, 19432,330,546 `Berger Sept 28, 1943 2,651,407 Blackman Sept. 8, 1953

